NK could conduct a nuclear test at any time: Sung Kim U.S. Special Representative for North Korea, Sung Kim / AP-YonhapNorth Korea appears to have completed preparations for what will be its seventh nuclear test that could take place at any time, Special U.S. Representative for North Korea Sung Kim said Tuesday.Kim said a North Korean nuclear test will be met by a "swift" response from the U.S. and its allies, but that Washington will continue to remain open to dialogue with no "end date.""On timing, I don't have anything more," Kim said when asked if the U.S. agreed with Seoul's earlier assessment that North Korea may conduct a nuclear test as early as this week."They have obviously done the preparations in Punggye-ri and I understand they could test any time," he added, referring to North Korea's key nuclear test site.North Korea conducted its sixth and last nuclear test in September 2017.The wide anticipation for North Korea's seventh nuclear test follows a series of North Korean missile launches that also included the country's first intercontinental ballistic missile tests since November 2017.Kim said the U.S. remains open to dialoJun 8, 2022
Defector group claims to have sent balloons carrying COVID-19 medicine to North Korea Balloons carrying masks, Tylenol and vitamin C pills are released to fly across the inter-Korean border into the North. / Courtesy of Fighters for a Free North KoreaA North Korean defector group said Tuesday it had sent balloons carrying masks and COVID-19 medicines across the border earlier this week to help people in the North, while the Seoul government asked activists to refrain from such campaigns as they could have a negative impact on regional stability.Twenty balloons carrying 20,000 masks, 15,000 Tylenol pills and 30,000 vitamin C pills were released between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. Sunday from Pocheon, north of Seoul, Fighters for a Free North Korea said to the press. It remains unconfirmed whether the materials have landed in the North as intended.The unification ministry handling inter-Korean affairs reiterated a call for refraining from such a move, calling it a violation of the Development of Inter-Korean Relations Act. Under the ban, violators are subject to up to three years in prison or a maximum fine of 30 million won ($23,700). The North has responded angrily to activisJun 7, 2022
N. Korea to face 'swift, forceful' response in case of nuke test: Sherman U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman speaks to media after meeting with South Korea's First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul Tuesday. AP-Yonhap A senior U.S. diplomat warned Tuesday that North Korea would face a "swift and forceful" response should the recalcitrant regime press ahead with a widely anticipated nuclear weapon test.Deputy U.S. Secretary of State Wendy Sherman issued the warning after she met with her South Korean counterpart, Cho Hyun-dong, in Seoul, to discuss the North's weekend missile launches and the possibility of it conducting what would be its seventh nuclear test."Any nuclear tests would be in complete violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions," Sherman told reporters. "There would be a swift and forceful response to such a test."Sherman added, "The entire world will respond in a strong and clear manner. We are prepared."Touching on the North's COVID-19 situation, the U.S. diplomat called on NorJun 7, 2022
US will not link COVID-19 assistance to denuclearization talks with North Korea Daniel Kritenbrink, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs / Yonhap The United States does not and will not link its humanitarian assistance for North Korea to progress in denuclearization talks with the impoverished country, a senior U.S. diplomat said Monday, urging Pyongyang to engage in dialogue and also accept U.S. or international assistance to deal with COVID-19.Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, also reiterated that the U.S. remains open to dialogue."We are also gravely concerned by the serious outbreak of COVID-19 underway in the DPRK right now, and how it may affect the health and well-being of the North Korean people," Kritenbrink said in a forum jointly hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Korea Foundation.DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name."We continue to support efforts to provide humaniJun 7, 2022
'US remains concerned about N. Korea's nuclear test, but also ready for contingency' U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price speaks during a news conference in Washington, March 10. The United States continues to remain concerned that North Korea may conduct a nuclear test in the near future. Reuters-YonhapThe United States continues to remain concerned that North Korea may conduct a nuclear test in the near future, a state department spokesperson said Monday (local time).Ned Price, however, said the U.S. also remains prepared for such a contingency."So we remain concerned that the DPRK could seek a seventh nuclear test in the coming days," the department press secretary said when asked about U.S. measures to deal with recent North Korean provocations."It's a concern we have warned about for some time, I can assure you that it is a contingency we have planned for, and it has been a concerted topic of discussion with allies and partners," added Price. DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.Intelligence officials in Seoul and Washington have noted the North may have already completed all preparations for a nuclear teJun 7, 2022
North Korea's media outlets remain silent about missile launches A North Korea flag flutters next to concertina wire at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur, March 9, 2017. Reuters-YonhapNorth Korea's official news agency and other state media outlets remained silent Monday about a barrage of missile tests that the country carried out a day earlier in its third show of force since South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol took office last month.The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Pyongyang's official mouthpiece, usually begins its morning news cycle with reports on major events that happened the previous day, such as leader Kim Jong-un's activities or major weapons testing.On Monday, however, the KCNA made no mention of the eight short-range ballistic missile launches, which, according to South Korea's military, were carried out Sunday morning from areas around Sunan in Pyongyang and elsewhere.The Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, and other media outlets also remained silent on the launches.The latest launches marked the North's 18th show of force this year and the third since President Yoon took office May 10 with a pledge to get toughJun 6, 2022
Tensions mount on Korean Peninsula People watch file footage on a TV news program reporting North Korea's latest missile launch, at Seoul Station, Sunday. North Korea test-fired eight ballistic missiles off to the East Sea, marking the 18th round of missile provocations this year alone. AP-YonhapNorth Korea fires 8 ballistic missiles after South Korea-U.S. naval drillBy Nam Hyun-wooNorth Korea fired eight short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) into the East Sea, Sunday, in an apparent reaction to a joint naval drill between South Korea and the U.S. carried out in the Philippine Sea from Thursday until Saturday. President Yoon Suk-yeol enters the presidential office to attend a National Security Council meeting after North Korea fired eight ballistic missiles into the East Sea, Sunday. Joint Press CorpsThe launches mark the 18th missile provocation by North Korea this year and this is virtually the first time that the regime has fired eight ballistic missiles in a salvo. With officials saying that Pyongyang's nuclear test is imminent, Sunday's launches are ratcheting up tensions further on the Korean Peninsula, as the Jun 5, 2022By Nam Hyun-woo
S. Korean, US nuclear envoys discuss N. Korea's latest missile tests Kim Gunn, right, South Korea's top nuclear envoy, holds a meeting in Seoul with his American counterpart, Sung Kim, on North Korea's missile launches, Sunday, in this photo provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Yonhap Top South Korean and U.S. nuclear envoys held an emergency meeting in Seoul, Sunday, hours after North Korea test-fired another salvo of ballistic missiles into the East Sea, according to the foreign ministry.Kim Gunn, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, had discussions with his American counterpart, Sung Kim, on the issue in their second face-to-face meeting in two days.Kim was already in Seoul for trilateral consultations held Friday, which involved Takehiro Funakoshi of Japan, on ways to persuade Pyongyang to discontinue provocations and bring it back to negotiations.The three officials had phone talks in response to the North's latest missile launches, in which they strongly condemned the tension-escalatinJun 5, 2022
North Korea's total 'fever' cases surpass 4 mil. amid antivirus fight North Korean military personnel serving in the medical sector distribute medicine to residents, in this photo provided by the Korean Central News Agency on Saturday. Yonhap North Korea reported 73,780 more suspected COVID-19 cases Sunday, bringing the total number of “fever cases” to over 4 million. More than 73,780 people showed symptoms of a fever over a 24-hour period until 6 p.m. the previous day, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, citing data from the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters.This marked the sixth consecutive day for the daily count to remain below 100,000.The KCNA gave no information on whether additional deaths had been confirmed.The total number of infections since late April came to more than 4.07 million as of 6 p.m. Saturday, of which more than 3.93 million have recovered and at least 138,480 are being treated, it added.Meanwhile, Pyongyang claimed the country is taking "optimal epidemic prevention measures based Jun 5, 2022
N. Korea fires 8 short-range ballistic missiles toward East Sea People watch a TV screen at a train station in Seoul, May 25, showing a news program reporting on North Korean missile launches, using file footage. North Korea launched three ballistic missiles toward the sea that day, hours after President Joe Biden wrapped up his trip to Asia where he reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to defend its allies in the face of the North's growing nuclear weapons threat. AP-Yonhap North Korea fired eight short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) toward the East Sea, Sunday, a day after South Korea and the United States wrapped up a joint exercise near the peninsula involving a U.S. aircraft carrier, according to the South's military. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the launches were detected between 9:08 a.m. and 9:43 a.m. from areas around Sunan in Pyongyang; Kaechon, north of the capital city; the northwestern region of Tongchang-ri; and the eastern city of Hamhung. The missiles flew around 110 to 670 kilometers at altitudes of between Jun 5, 2022
